Fire Meet Gasoline

Chapter Twenty One

Five weeks had passed since Kelly came home from Vegas with his new wife, and I was growing more and more miserable by the day.

Seeing him with another woman had never made me this uneasy before.

I sit beside Jay on the sofa, we're watching Seal Team.

"They're so badass." I say and Jay smiled.

"Yeah, they really are." He agrees as he sips on a beer.

"I might put in for a transfer." I say quietly. "Just for a few shifts initially. I need a change of scene. Maybe it'll make it harder for Morgan to find me."

"Yeah, you're right. We could use that to our advantage to catch him maybe. Lure him out. I'll discuss it with Voight. It's baffled me how this guy hasn't been caught yet. He must have some sort of military training."

"Do you think I should leave it? I have strong feelings for Kelly but...."

"But he has a wife..." Jay comments, finishing my sentence for me.

I pull a face and shrug. "That is true, yes, but he told me he hasn't been able to stop thinking about me. Do you think there's more to it?"

"I think he's an idiot to let you get away. But I also think you need to accept that he's married, and try to move on." Jay says and he confirms what I've been telling myself.

"Any hot patrol men you know of?" I joke and Jay smiled.

"Don't rush in for a transfer. Let me talk it out with Voight first. Do you really want to leave everyone at fifty one behind? You might not find that bond with everyone again. They're your family." Jay says and I nod.

"True. I just want a man who is obsessed with me and loves me for who I am."

"You do have a man that's obsessed with you, and how exactly is that working out for you?" Jay replies and my face drops, my mouth in an 'o' shape.

"Jay Halstead!" I say with a laugh and shove him gently.

"Damn, for such a tough guy who takes no crap, you're sassy. I like sassy Jay Halstead."

Jay nods with a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Say the words and we'll call the search off. Reunite you with your dream man."  He adds.

"Reunite? Wouldn't that require you to actually catch him first?" I retort, plying him with the same amount of sassiness.

"Oooh, burn." Jay says and I laugh.

It had been one hell of a day. I exhaled slowly as I leant back against my locker. A helicopter had crashed, hanging by a thread on the edge of a building, and when it fell, it very nearly took Kelly with it.

I recalled seeing his wife at the barrier, almost hysterical. I had to be nice to her, she didn't know about me and him, and I couldn't hate her, as much as I wanted to.

I turned the volume up on my radio as the chief requested a sit rep from Squad. Hearing Kelly's voice calmed her down, and we exchanged a small smile before I ran back to help Sylvie with a victim.

I was drawn from my thoughts as Kelly emerged from the showers.

"You alright?" He asked and I nodded my head slowly before turning to dive into my locker.

"Yeah, just a hell of a day." I said quietly, and he seemed to agree.

"Have you spoke to Brittany?" I asked without turning to face him.

"Len.." he started and I sighed. I wasn't trying to interfere.

"She seemed concerned, she was scared for you out there, I tried to calm her as best as I could but I had to go.."

"Wait, she turned up to the scene?" Kelly asked and I felt bad, like I'd dropped her in it.

"Yeah, she was scared Kelly. I'm not trying to cause trouble.. I just thought you would have spoken by now.." I said and he sighed.

He didn't say anything else but stormed to his office.

I closed my eyes and sighed, heading back to the common room to get myself a well earned cup of tea.

'Two hours until you're free.' I read from my phone, a text from Jay.

The chaos from the call made me lose track of time, and I smiled.

'Two hours until I can come home and grovel Kim self pity.' I fired back at him, and collapsed back onto the sofa beside mouch.

"What a day." i said to him and he nodded, agreeing.

Everyone was exhausted, myself included. I probably should have headed to the bunks where most people had resided.

"A shock to the system, not just to you." Mouth said and I frowned at Mouch.

Mouch realised he needed to provide some clarification upon what he meant.

"Severide, coming back here, married.."

I smiled a little, and shrugged.

"I guess.."

"You don't have to pretend with me Len, Trudy told me about how Severide didn't leave your side after the break in.." Mouch said and I exhaled slowly, relieved.

"It hurts, a lot. I thought we had something.. and then he shows up.. shows up married.." I said quietly and shrugged.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be, and I was naive to think that it was. We work together.. it would never work.." I added.

"You like him?" Mouch asked.

I looked at him blankly.
"I thought I did, but this is the ultimate stab in the back, there's no way I could trust him again after this Mouch.."

"That's understandable. Happiness is in the eye of the beholder." Mouch told me, making me ponder for a moment.

"Isn't it.. beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" I asked him, and he frowned, before we both broke into laughter.

"Perhaps it is." Mouch said and my smile grew.

No matter what I was going through, everyone in this firehouse came through for me, when I least expected it too.

I wasn't sure how I could consider leaving this house, because it was where I truly belonged.